1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a rotor braking device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a spinning reel rotor braking device that brakes a rotor in response to pivoting a bail arm.
2. Background Information
A rotor on a spinning reel is generally provided with a bail arm for guiding a fishing line to a spool. The bail arm can assume a line-winding position, in which the fishing line is guided to an outer periphery of the spool when winding up the fishing line, and a line-releasing position, in which the bail arm is toppled over from the line-winding position so that it does not pose a hindrance when the fishing line is rolled off from the spool. The rotor is provided with a bail tripping device, which maintains the bail arm in the line-winding position and the line-releasing position. The bail tripping device returns the bail arm from the line-releasing position to the line-winding position in cooperation with a rotation of the rotor in a line-winding direction. (See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H10-004839.)
The bail tripping device includes a toggle spring, a rod-shaped moving member and a switching protrusion. The toggle spring is mounted to the rotor. The toggle spring has a front end that is interlocked adjacent a pivot center of the bail arm. The rod-shaped moving member has a front end that is interlocked adjacent the pivot center of the bail arm and a base end that moves forward and backward with respect to the reel unit. The switching protrusion is provided on the reel unit so as to contact the moving member. The toggle spring toggles and urges the bail arm between two positions and maintains the bail arm in the two positions. When the bail arm is pivoted into the line-releasing position, the moving member retreats to a position in which it contacts the switching projection. Then, when the rotor rotates in the line-winding direction, the rotor contacts the switching projection and pushes it forward. The toggle spring contracts due to this forward advancement. The toggle spring then returns the bail arm to the line-winding position.
A spinning reel having improved rotational transmission efficiency can be rotated easily in the line-winding direction. When the rotor rotates, the rotational orientation thereof tends to shift easily, even when the rotor has been rotated into a rotational orientation suitable for casting or thumbing.
In the aforementioned conventional configuration, a braking member that contacts the reel unit and brakes the rotor is mounted on the moving member so as to prevent the rotation of the rotor in the line-releasing position. When the moving member is moved into the contact position, the braking member contacts the front surface of the reel unit and is compressed, thereby braking the rotor. When the rotor is elastically braked when the bail is tripped, the rotor can be prevented from rotating and can also be rotated in the line-winding direction when necessary.
In this configuration, the braking member mounted on the moving member comes into contact with the reel unit and is compressed, thus braking the rotor. Therefore, if the contact position of the moving member varies back and forth due to manufacturing errors or assembly errors, the amount of compression of the braking member will change as well. If the amount of compression changes, the braking force on the rotor will also change and thus, the rotor cannot be braked reliably. Accordingly, a bail tripping device has been known to use an annular braking member made of an elastic synthetic resin mounted onto the reel unit. The moving member is moved in a direction perpendicular to the compression direction of the braking member from the end of the braking member towards an outer peripheral surface and thereby brought into contact with the braking member. (See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-189767.)
However, there are concerns that this configuration will produce irregularities in the braking force and make the braking force unstable because braking would occur on only one portion in which the moving member contacts the braking member. If the braking force becomes unstable like this, there are concerns that a consistent amount of braking force will not be produced, which in turn will give rise to a decrease in operability.
To solve this problem, a rotor braking device has been known which includes an annular drag portion that is made of an elastic synthetic resin and frictionally engages with the reel unit so as to rotate relative thereto. The rotor braking device further includes a braking member that has a plurality of engaging portions with which a protrusion on the moving member engages so that the drag portion can frictionally slide with the reel unit when the protrusion on the moving member engages with the engaging portions. (See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-141144.)
This type of braking member is an annular member that is made of an elastic synthetic resin and comprised of two approximately semi-circular members. The drag portion thereof is press-contacted to the reel unit by a spring member mounted on an annular groove that is formed on the outer periphery of the lateral side of the reel unit so that the drag portion can frictionally slide with the reel unit, for example. A whole inner peripheral surface of the drag portion can contact a mounting groove formed on the outer periphery of the front end of the reel unit. With this configuration, the braking force is stabilized because the rotor is uniformly braked by the entire drag portion.
The braking force is stabilized by the rotor braking device, which the drag portion frictionally engages, because the rotor is uniformly braked over the entire drag portion. The braking force of this drag portion is determined by a kind of elastic synthetic resin and the pressure-contact force of a spring member. In the conventional configuration, the kind of elastic synthetic resin and the pressure-contact force of the spring member are configured to be preset when the rotor braking device is assembled. Therefore, there is no option but to change all the components in order to change the braking force. Accordingly, it is difficult to easily change the braking force.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved rotor braking device with a braking force that is easily adjusted. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.